A+ Guide to Managing and
Maintaining Your PC, 7e
Chapter 16
Fixing Windows Problems
Objectives
• Learn what to do when a hardware device,
application, or Windows component gives a problem
• Learn what to do when Windows Vista won’t boot or
boots with errors
• Learn strategies that you can use to solve problems
with Windows 2000/XP startup
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Fixing Problems Caused By Hardware
• Steps to determine device causing a problem
– Research an error messages
– Use the Vista Problem Reports and Solutions window
or the XP Error Reporting window
– Check logs in Event Viewer
– Check the Reliability and Performance Monitor
– Consider recent changes
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Fixing Problems Caused By Hardware
(cont’d.)
• Steps to discover the problem source
– Check simple things first
– Ensure Device Manager recognizes device with no
errors or warnings
– Verify BIOS setup recognizes device with no errors
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Fixing Problems Caused By Hardware
(cont’d.)
• Solving a problem with a device driver or service
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Update device drivers
Update Windows
Try moving device to a different port or connector
Try reinstalling device
Try moving device to a different computer
Use System Restore
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Fixing Problems Caused By Hardware
(cont’d.)
• Solving a problem with a device driver or service
(cont’d.)
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Check manufacturer’s documentation
Search the Internet for help
Boot into Safe Mode
Use System File Checker
Consider application using the device
Replace device
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Quick Quiz # 1
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1. True or False: Most computer problems are simple and easy to solve.
Answer: True
2. True or False: Errors or warnings in Device Manager are displayed as a
yellow triangle or question mark.
Answer: True
3. When updating device drivers, download the driver files to the hard drive
from the ____________________Web site.
Answer: device manufacturer’s
4. True or False: Sometimes a Windows update solves a problem with a
hardware device.
Answer: True
5. To get a clean start with a device, a PC technician can
____________________ it and start over.
Answer: uninstall
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Fixing Problems Caused By
Applications
• Steps to find the problem source and fix it
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Interview user and back up data
Ask user to reproduce problem while you watch
Use Task Manager to end a process not responding
Try a reboot
Suspect a virus causing a problem
Allow Windows to provide a solution
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Fixing Problems Caused By
Applications (cont’d.)
• Steps to find the problem source and fix it (cont’d.)
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Windows update might solve the problem
Download updates or patches for the application
Use the application setup to repair the installation
Consider data corruption
Try restoring default settings
Uninstall and reinstall application
Use System Restore
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Fixing Problems Caused By
Applications (cont’d.)
• Steps to take if application never worked
– Run application as administrator
– Install application as administrator
– Consider whether an older application having
compatibility problems with Vista
• Windows Vista Compatibility Center
• Try running application in compatibility mode
– Verify application digitally signed
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Fixing Problems Caused By
Applications (cont’d.)
• Considerations to determine if problem is caused by
other applications, services, Windows, or hardware
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Another application might be interfering
Use the Services console
Might be low on system resources
Verify Windows system files
Problem might be bad memory
Use Event Viewer to look for clues
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Fixing Problems Caused By
Applications (cont’d.)
• Considerations to determine if problem is caused by
other applications, services, Windows, or hardware
(cont’d.)
– Use the Reliability Monitor to look for clues
– Use the Chkdsk command to check hard drive
– Run application in Safe Mode with Networking
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Troubleshooting Vista Startup
• Three startup stages of the boot
– Stage 1: Before the progress bar
– Stage 2: After the progress bar and before logon
– Stage 3: After logon
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Problems at Stage 1: Before the
Progress Bar Appears
• Check with user
– Verify important data location
– Verify data backed up
• Attempt to copy data to safe location if possible
• Progress bar not showing
– Portions of Vista kernel, critical drivers, and services
not yet started
• Indicates problem with hardware or startup files
• Failing hardware may include: power supply,
motherboard, CPU, memory, hard drive, video, or
keyboard
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Problems at Stage 1: Before the
Progress Bar Appears (cont’d.)
• Is the screen blank?
– Absolutely nothing on the screen
• Verify system power, monitor is plugged in and on
– Suspect no power to system
• Verify system not in standby mode or hibernation
– Monitor totally without lights
• Check monitor power
– Monitor LED light lit
• Reboot, check monitor power, and that it is on
– Trade monitor for a good one
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Problems at Stage 1: Before the
Progress Bar Appears (cont’d.)
• Does the computer appear to have power?
– Can’t hear spinning drive or see lights on case front
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Suspect electrical system
Check power connections and switches
May have bad power supply
Loose connections inside case
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Problems at Stage 1: Before the
Progress Bar Appears (cont’d.)
• Does an error message appear before Vista starts?
– BIOS displays error message on-screen if problems
• Uses beeps if video not working
– On-screen messages for nonessential hardware
• Try to bypass error by pressing a key and moving
forward in the boot
– On-screen messages for essential hardware
• Focus attention on the error message, beep code, and
voice message describing problem
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Figure 16-10 This error message at POST indicates a hardware problem
Courtesy: Course Technology/Cengage Learning
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Problems at Stage 1: Before the
Progress Bar Appears (cont’d.)
• Can startup BIOS access the hard drive?
– Possible messages
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Hard drive not found
Fixed disk error
Disk boot failure, insert system disk and press enter
No boot device available
– Check for physical problem
• Drive, data cable, power, motherboard
– Verify BIOS detected drive correctly
• Turn on autodetection and reboot
– Power down system, unplug it, and physically inspect
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Problems at Stage 1: Before the
Progress Bar Appears (cont’d.)
• Can startup BIOS access the hard drive? (cont’d.)
– BIOS found hard drive, but could not read drive or
find what it needed
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Invalid boot disk
Inaccessible boot device
Invalid drive specification
Invalid partition table
No operating system found, missing operating system,
or error loading operating system
• Could not find bootmgr or bootmgr missing
– Boot from Windows Vista setup DVD
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Problems at Stage 1: Before the
Progress Bar Appears (cont’d.)
• Use BIOS setup to set the boot sequence
– Access BIOS setup utility
– Find screen to change boot sequence
– Make sure DVD drive listed before hard drive
• Force system to boot from Windows Vista setup DVD
– Save settings and exit BIOS setup
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Figure 16-11 Verify that the boot sequence looks to the DVD
drive before it checks the hard drive for an operating system
Courtesy: Course Technology/Cengage Learning
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Problems at Stage 1: Before the
Progress Bar Appears (cont’d.)
• Can you boot from the Vista setup DVD?
– If not then study error messages, and solve
immediate hardware problem
• Hard drive and optical drive might have failed
• Try floppy drive with DOS or Windows 9x floppy disk
• Successful boot from floppy indicates problem with both
the hard drive and DVD drive
– If able to boot from Vista DVD
• Windows logon screen appears
• Problem isolated to the hard drive
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Figure 16-12 Select your language preference
Courtesy: Course Technology/Cengage Learning
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Problems at Stage 1: Before the
Progress Bar Appears (cont’d.)
• Can Windows RE find the Vista installation?
– Launch Windows RE
• Windows RE attempts to locate Vista installation on the
hard drive
– If Windows RE cannot locate the installation, but
BIOS setup recognizes the drive
• Drive partitions and file systems might be corrupted
– If Windows RE does locate the installation
• Problem likely limited to corrupted or missing system
files or drivers
– Attempt fixes: restart system after each step
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Problems at Stage 1: Before the
Progress Bar Appears (cont’d.)
• Can Windows RE find the Vista installation?
(cont’d.)
– Run Startup Repair
• Sometimes fixes drastic problems with system files,
boot records
– Run System Restore
• Process won’t help if file system corrupted
– Restart system and launch Advanced Boot Options
menu
• No boot menu: problem may be corrupted boot sector
• Boot menu appears: probable BCD file or other startup
file problem
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Problems at Stage 1: Before the
Progress Bar Appears (cont’d.)
• Can Windows RE find the Vista installation?
(cont’d.)
– Restart system, launch Advanced Boot Options menu
(cont’d.)
• If boot menu appears: enable boot logging and reboot
• Check boot log (\Windows\ntbtlog.txt) for the last entry
• Might indicate which system file missing or corrupt
– If boot menu does not appear:
• Return to Windows RE, launch command prompt
window, and attempt to repair boot sector
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Problems at Stage 1: Before the
Progress Bar Appears (cont’d.)
• Can Windows RE find the Vista installation?
(cont’d.)
– If boot menu does appear:
• Return to Windows RE, launch command prompt
window, and attempt to repair the BCD file
– Try to repair corrupted file system
• Use command prompt window and chkdsk c: /r
command
– When startup files missing or corrupt
• Vista may display an error message
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Problems at Stage 1: Before the
Progress Bar Appears (cont’d.)
• Can Windows RE find the Vista installation?
(cont’d.)
– Use command prompt window to access drive C
• Get to C prompt: use DIR command to list folders and
files
• Good list: check log file for clues
• Not a good list: most likely Vista installation destroyed
beyond repair
• Make every effort to copy data to another media
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Problems at Stage 1: Before the
Progress Bar Appears (cont’d.)
• Options to recover from a corrupted Vista installation
– Option 1: Complete PC backup available
• Restore system to last backup
– Option 2: Complete PC backup not available and data
backups available on hard drive
• Install Windows Vista, format hard drive during
installation, install all applications again, restore data
– Option 3: Complete PC backup and data backup not
available
• Try to copy data to removable device and reinstall
Windows Vista
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Problems at Stage 1: Before the
Progress Bar Appears (cont’d.)
• Steps to reinstall Windows Vista when OS refuses to
boot and important data on the drive
– Boot from Vista DVD, select language, select Install
now from opening menu
• Follow directions on-screen to install the OS
– Enter product key and accept license agreement
• Select Custom (advanced) installation
– When asked where to install the OS select partition
on which Vista installed
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Problems at Stage 1: Before the
Progress Bar Appears (cont’d.)
• Steps to reinstall Windows Vista (cont’d.)
– Vista setup moves old installation folders into
\Windows.Old folder
– Clean Vista installation goes in the \Windows folder
– Suspect hard drive failing
• Copy all data and reinstall Vista again
– Healthy hard drive
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Run Chkdsk to fix errors
Install all applications and device drivers
Create all user accounts and customize Vista settings
Delete the \Windows.Old folder
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Figure 16-16 Free up disk space by deleting the Windows.Old folder
Courtesy: Course Technology/Cengage Learning
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Problems at Stage 1: Before the
Progress Bar Appears (cont’d.)
• Reinstall Vista on a laptop or brand-name computer
– Use hidden partition on hard drive to recover the
Windows installation
• During startup, press appropriate key for access
– Menu should appear with two options:
• One option repairs the Windows installation, saving
user data
• Other options reformats drive C and restores system to
purchased setup
– If neither method works use recovery CD or DVD
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Problems at Stage 2: After the Progress Bar
Appears and Before Logon
• Microsoft progress bar appears during the boot
– Windows kernel loaded successfully
– Critical drivers and services configured to be started
by the kernel running
– Session Manager (Smss.exe) running in user mode
started the Win32 subsystem
– If logon screen not displayed:
• Probable corrupted driver or service started after kernel
finished its part of the boot
• Fix by isolating and disabling Windows component,
service, or application causing trouble
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Problems at Stage 2: After the Progress Bar
Appears and Before Logon
• Back up data before focusing on the problem
• Follow these steps:
– Launch Windows RE from Vista setup DVD
• Run Startup Repair from Recovery Environment menu
– Reboot, launch the Advanced Boot Options menu
• Select the Last Known Good Configuration
– In Windows RE, run System Restore
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Problems at Stage 2: After the Progress Bar
Appears and Before Logon
• Steps (cont’d.)
– Try booting into Safe Mode
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Immediately run antivirus software
Run Chkdsk c: /r
Examine all logs in Event Viewer
Use Software Explorer, MSconfig to stop applications
just installed, then uninstall and reinstall
• Use Device Manager to check for hardware errors
• Use the System File Checker (SFC) tool
• Rename the \Windows\Ntbtlog.txt file
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Problems at Stage 2: After the Progress Bar
Appears and Before Logon
• Steps (cont’d.)
– Boot to the Advanced Boot Options menu and select
Enable Boot Logging
– Compare the Ntbtlog.txt file to the one created in Safe
Mode
– Easiest way to view the logs is to boot into Safe Mode
and view the files with Notepad
– Problem service or device identified
• Boot into Safe Mode and use Device Manager to
disable
• Use Services console to disable
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Problems at Stage 2: After the Progress Bar
Appears and Before Logon
• Steps (cont’d.)
– Cannot boot into Safe Mode
• Open Recovery Environment command prompt window
• Back up registry, find key that loads services and
drivers
– Disable service or driver by changing Start value to
0x4
• Reboot, replace program file, and restart service or
driver
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Problems at Stage 3: After Windows
Logon
• Problems caused by applications or services
configured to launch at startup
– Shortcuts in startup folders, Scheduled Tasks, or
software installation processes affecting registry
entries
– Error message at startup
• Disable program using MSconfig
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Table 16-1 Error messages during the Vista startup and what to do about them
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How to Recover Lost Data
• Use Windows tools, third party software, or
commercial data recovery services
• Recovering a deleted or corrupted data file
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Look in the Recycle Bin
Use the Recover command
Use application manufacturer’s web site
Find third party software
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How to Recover Lost Data (cont’d.)
• Recover data from a computer that will not boot
– Remove hard drive and install as a second
nonbooting hard drive in another system
– Use IDE to USB or a SATA to USB converter kit
• Temporarily connect hard drive to a USB port on a
working computer
• Browse drive and copy data using Windows Explorer
• Use a data recovery service
– Google “data recovery”
– Read up on reviews, understand warranty and
guarantees, and get a recommendation
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Troubleshooting Windows 2000/XP
Startup
• Steps:
– Talk to the user
• Recent changes, conditions right before error, new
hardware or software, data backup location
– Important data not backed up
• Make every effort to copy data to another media before
working on the Windows problem
– Determine point in the boot where system fails
– For problems related to hardware check simple things
first
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Troubleshooting Windows 2000/XP
Startup (cont’d.)
• Steps (cont’d.)
– Error message displayed on-screen
• Start by addressing it
– Problem software related and cannot boot to desktop
• Boot to the Advanced Options menu
• Select the Last Known Good Configuration
– Can boot load Windows desktop
• If system giving many errors or is extremely slow,
suspect a virus and run antivirus software
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Table 16-2 Error messages
during Windows 2000/XP
startup and what to do
about them
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Troubleshooting Windows 2000/XP
Startup (cont’d.)
• Steps (cont’d.)
– System recently changed
• Assume installation is guilty until proven innocent
– New application or utility program installed
• Go to Control Panel Add or Remove Programs applet
• Uninstall software and reboot
– System will not start normally
• Boot into Safe Mode and XP recognizes System
Restore used
• Launch System Restore Wizard
• Choose a restore point
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Figure 16-21 Windows XP gives you the opportunity to launch
System Restore before it loads Safe Mode
Courtesy: Course Technology/Cengage Learning
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Troubleshooting Windows 2000/XP
Startup (cont’d.)
• Steps (cont’d.)
– After boot into Safe Mode
• Use SFC, Chkdsk, and Defrag commands
– Cannot boot into Safe Mode
• Try Safe Mode with Command Prompt
• Use SFC, Chkdsk, and Defrag commands
– Cannot boot from hard drive
• Create and use a Windows 2000/XP boot disk
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Troubleshooting Windows 2000/XP
Startup (cont’d.)
• Steps (cont’d.)
– Cannot boot from Windows 2000/XP boot disk
• Load Recovery Console
• Try to restore system files
– Problem still not solved
• Assume Windows installation corrupted
• Need to restore Windows installation
• Try various tools to restore
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Quick Quiz #2
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1. Running an application with administrator privileges is known a
____________________.
Answer: secondary logon
2. The ____________________ reports problems and solutions for known
legacy software.
Answer: Windows Vista Compatibility Center
3. True or False: Applications that are not digitally signed will not run on
Windows.
Answer: False
4. True or False: Bad memory may cause an application error.
Answer: True
5. True or False: The first decision in troubleshooting a failed boot is to
decide at what point in the boot the failure occurred.
Answer: True
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Summary
• Solve Windows problems by using strategies and
techniques
– Diagnosing a Windows problem
• Problems involve hardware, applications, and Windows
• Problems occur after the boot with hardware or
software
• Problems occur during the boot
– Determining the best tool for each situation
– Solving Windows Vista boot problems
• Different from solving Windows XP/2000 boot issues
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